CitySprouts Summer Program Fellowship

Tufts Environmental Studies Program-CitySprouts Summer Program Fellowship 

The Tufts Environmental Studies Program and CitySprouts are partnering to offer a summer fellowship opportunity for Tufts undergraduate students. The successful student, or students, will intern with CitySprouts’ Young Leaders Program. The CitySprouts Young Leaders Program is a year-round program for 11-14 year old youth rooted in project-based science and engineering activities that encourage youth to think deeply and critically about the world around them. Our summer program is a 5-week summer program within the Young Leaders Program that is centered around environmental education and STEM. We strive to nurture kids’ environmental interests, helping them become earth stewards and champions of nature in the city. CitySprouts is seeking energetic, diverse, and outgoing college students* to provide essential support to the Summer Program. The CitySprouts Summer Fellowship is an opportunity for interested applicants to gain first-hand experience working in the heart of a growing nonprofit organization. Summer Fellows are a core member of the team and help make the summer program a successful experience for all participants, as well as in representing CitySprouts to young people, families and the larger community. CitySprouts Summer Fellows can expect a significant learning opportunity as well as opportunities for career exploration, youth development, and informal education. Summer Fellows will work as part of a team, led by a CitySprouts Garden Educator to help supervise and educate a cohort of 15 middle school aged youth. We will engage youth outside on urban farms and gardens in Cambridge and Boston.

 Qualifications

• Be curious, open and willing to try new things
• Be professional during online programing
• Stay mindful of the impact adults have on young people and foster a positive & respectful relationship between youth, other Fellows and CitySprouts staff. 
• Be thoughtful and reflective about how their own identities affect interactions with youth and each other. 
• Adhere to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and CitySprouts COVID protocols
• Fluency in a second language strongly preferred
• Reliable access to internet and quiet place to work during program hours

Summer Fellow Expectations and Responsibilities

• Assist the Garden Educator in teaching a cohort of summer middle school youth using inquiry and project-based activities and lessons to explore topics related to STEM, growing plants, food systems, and the natural environment 
• Mentor middle school youth and encourage their leadership skills
• Commit to restorative justice practices with youth and staff
• Help to educate youth on the importance of urban agriculture

Timeline and Commitment

The summer program is based in Boston and Cambridge. This program will be held in person and we ask that you are physically available for the duration of the program living in close proximity to either Cambridge or Boston. Fellows are central to our summer staffing and the success of our summer youth program, so we require a commitment to the six-week time period (1 week of training and 5 weeks of programming). The dates of the program are June 27th – August 5th, 2022 (Program dates may shift slightly. There is some flexibility to extend for funding sources that require more hours). We ask that Summer Fellows commit to the following hours: 8:00am – 4:30pm, Monday – Friday. The Summer Fellow reports to the Garden Educator on site and the Program Director. 

Compensation

Please note that CitySprouts does not provide housing or monetary compensation. There may be opportunities to receive funding through Tufts University. Candidates who are accepted into the CitySprouts Summer Fellowship program can apply for funding ($4000) through the Tufts Career Center Summer Internship Grants Program. One of those grants (Norton Nickerson Internship) is exclusively dedicated to Environmental Studies majors.

How to Apply

Please send a one-page cover letter & resume to smontagno@citysprouts.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with preference given to those received before June 21st, 2022.